


If You'll Still Have Me

by kittyhazelnut



Category: Phineas and Ferb
Genre: Confessions, Gen, Perry leaves OWCA, and Carl still isn't getting paid, college Candace, five years after the show ends, high school Phineas and Ferb
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-14
Updated: 2020-10-14
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:08:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27000985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kittyhazelnut/pseuds/kittyhazelnut
Summary: It's been a great ten years, but Perry can't keep this secret any longer.
Relationships: Candace Flynn & Perry the Platypus, Ferb Fletcher & Phineas Flynn, Ferb Fletcher & Phineas Flynn & Perry the Platypus, Lawrence Fletcher & Perry the Platypus, Linda Flynn-Fletcher & Perry the Platypus, Phineas Flynn & Perry the Platypus
Comments: 22
Kudos: 136





	If You'll Still Have Me

To say that Perry was hesitant to send the email would be an understatement. He left it in his drafts for nearly a week, just waiting to gather the courage to press that _send_ button. This is… well, unorthodox would be putting it lightly; It’s practically unheard of around the agency. No wonder Monogram seems so hesitant to give him the okay. 

“Are you sure about this?” Monogram asks, not for the first time. “This is a _big_ move.”

In all honesty, he’s _not_ sure about this. He’s never been less sure of anything in his life. But if he shows any doubt, he’s sure Monogram will talk him out of it, so he gives a nod.

“You remember what happened last time, don’t you?” Monogram asks. “They almost left you behind -- and this time they won’t have as long to change their minds. If they say no…”

Perry swallows hard. He knows this already. If they say no, he’ll be reassigned; he’ll never get to see his family again. Losing his family has been his biggest fear for as long as he can remember. After a decade together, the idea of having to walk away… 

But he’s made up his mind. He gives Monogram a firm nod. He’s doing this. He just has to hope it all works out. 

“Okay,” Monogram says, _finally_ hopping onboard, however reluctant he may be to do so. “Then Carl will see you tomorrow.”

Perry raises his hand in what he hopes will be one last salute. 

“Oh, and Agent P,” Monogram says. “If this doesn’t work out, just know… we’ll always be right here if you want to come back.”

Perry offers him a small smile while he waits for the screen to flicker to black. Though he and Monogram have had a few bumps in the road, Perry appreciates that. Perry has no idea what to expect when tomorrow hits. It’s comforting to know that if all else fails, he can always come back here. 

But enough worrying. It’s time to go to bed, and he’d like to enjoy what time he has left with his family while he knows he has it.

###

It’s not until late the next day that the doorbell rings. Perry holds back while Linda checks who it is. This might be an easier introduction if he’s not around. At least he can hear them from where he sits in the kitchen, watching Phineas and Ferb frantically try to pack the school supplies that they haven’t even looked at in months. Every time Perry looks at them, he still sees the little kids that took him in as a baby. It’s weird to think they’re starting high school tomorrow.

“Hello?” Linda says, confused but not unkind. There’s not an unkind bone in her body.

“Hi, Mrs. Flynn,” a familiar voice responds, sounding just as solemn as Perry feels. “My name's Carl. Can I talk to you and your family for a few minutes? It’s about Perry.”

Perry flinches at that. _Perry_. It’s about _Perry_. Carl’s never called him Perry before; he’s always been Agent P, ever since he joined the agency. It’s really starting to sink in that this is all over now. 

“Uh, yeah, sure,” Linda says uncertainly. “Come on in.”

“Who is it, honey?” Lawrence calls from somewhere far into the house. His study, maybe? He’s been getting back into painting lately, so that’s where Perry can usually find him.

“‘Carl,’” Linda replies, as if that name will mean anything to him. “Can you come here for a moment?”

Linda and Carl step into the kitchen, and their gazes both immediately fall on Perry. Linda looks nervous -- and why wouldn’t she be? A stranger just asked to talk about him with no context -- but Carl, who undoubtedly feels the same way, offers up a smile. It’s small, subtle, but oddly reassuring. Out of everyone at the agency, Perry couldn't ask for someone more supportive than him. 

Phineas and Ferb both look up from their backpacks, and the former asks, “Who are you?”

“My name’s Carl,” he says. “We’ve met once or twice before; you probably don’t remember it.”

“No, I can’t say I do,” Phineas says. “Sorry.”

“It’s alright,” Carl assures him. “That’s probably for the best.” He glances around. “Candace hasn’t gone back to school yet, has she?”

“No, she goes back next week,” Linda says slowly, and now she’s starting to look wary. No stranger should know their family this well.

“Want me to go get her?” Phineas offers.

“That would be nice,” Carl replies. 

Perry had been worrying about this all day, but sitting here and waiting for the family to gather, he’s never felt so nervous. He has to imagine Carl feels the same way; it may not be his future on the line, but he’s going to play a crucial role in how this goes over. But Perry chose him for a reason. If anyone’s going to help this go smoothly, it’s going to be Carl.

“What’s going on?” Candace asks, her voice carrying through the halls before she’s even in view. 

“That is a _very_ good question,” Phineas replies.

They both enter the kitchen, followed shortly after by Lawrence and his paint-stained hands. He really does enjoy this paint-by-numbers sets, doesn’t he? Phineas takes a seat next to his brother, and Candace leans against the wall behind them with her arms crossed. She’s grown a lot these last few years in regards to maturity, but being called for a secret meeting is not anyone’s idea of a fun time. Perry can’t blame her for being annoyed.

“What’s going on?” Linda asks warily. “You said this was about Perry?”

Carl nods. “Yes, he --”

“If it’s just about Perry, why do I have to be here?” Candace interrupts. “He’s still alive, isn’t he? That’s all I gotta know.”

Linda sighs. “Just give him two minutes, okay? Then you can go back to your room.”

Candace narrows her eyes but doesn’t argue. 

Carl waits for a few seconds, then begins speaking again. “This isn’t something we do a lot of where I work, so I’m not sure what the best way to say it is. I guess, just… Perry?”

So that’s how they’re going to go about it. He’s just tossing Perry out there with no expectations. Well, he might as well get it over with. If nothing else, Carl can pick up the pieces. 

Perry stands up on his hind legs and puts his fedora on. 

There’s a collective gasp, and it takes all Perry’s willpower not to flinch. He knew they’d react like this, of course. It’s not every day that your platypus who “doesn’t do much” reveals that he’s far more human-like than meets the eye. That part’s no surprise. He’s just worried about what comes next.

“Perry?” Phineas says quietly. 

Perry looks up at him with a small, wary smile. He can’t tell how Phineas feels about this yet -- how _any_ of them feel. He’s not entirely sure that they themselves know how to feel. At least they’re not rushing to anger, so it’s already going better than last time. He’ll take what little he can get. 

“Perry has been working for a secret organization for the better part of the last decade,” Carl explains. “And part of that deal he had with us is that no one in his host family -- that’s you guys -- could know.”

“So he’s been, what, a _spy_ since we adopted him?” Candace asks. 

“Well, a secret agent, but yes,” Carl says. 

“The entire time?” Linda adds.

Carl nods. “He’s been with the organization since before you adopted him.”

Linda lets out a long breath. “Wow…”

“I suppose it makes sense, though,” Lawrence says, and he seems to be taking this well. “He’s disappeared just about every afternoon for the last ten years.”

“He has, hasn’t he,” Linda agrees, and for some reason, that seems to help her make sense of this. 

Perry looks up at the kids. As relieved as he is that the parents most likely aren’t going to kick him out, he’s more concerned with how the kids feel -- how _the boys_ feel especially. They both remain silent, and for once, Perry can’t glean anything from either of their facial expressions. This is… not good.

Once it seems everyone has processed what they’ve heard so far, Carl continues. “Agents don’t typically retire like this, and I can’t remember a single time we’ve told their host families about their job. But Agent P -- sorry, _Perry_ \-- is admittedly one of our favorites, so when he asked…” Carl shrugs. “We thought it was well-earned.”

Perry looks around. Someone has to speak, right? They can’t just accept that this happened in silence. He needs _some_ type of reaction, at least to know if he’s still welcome here. 

When Phineas finally speaks up, all he says is, “Why?”

Carl cocks his head to the side. “Why what?”

“Why now?” Phineas clarifies. “I mean, he’s basically been here our whole lives and never mentioned a thing. Why say something now?”

Carl glances down at Perry, who nods once. He explained it in his email. He _had to_ if he wanted Monogram to take him seriously. He just hopes it makes sense, that it does his situation justice even coming from Carl. 

“Well, he said -- and I’m paraphrasing here -- that he felt like he’d already missed so much,” Carl says. “He didn’t want to miss your high school experience, too.”

Ferb gives one of his rare smiles and looks down at his pet. “I wish you would have said something sooner; you could have spent the summer with us.”

Perry shrugs sheepishly. He should have known Ferb would be okay with this. He was okay with it in the second dimension; why should this dimension be any different?

“Have you been able to understand us this whole time?” Candace asks. 

Perry nods. Of course he has. He can’t imagine loving this family as much as he does if he hadn’t understood what they were saying. 

“So you’ve understood every single mean thing I’ve said to you?” 

Oh. 

That’s not where Perry thought this was going. 

“I -- I’m so sorry,” Candace says, and it almost sounds like she’s going to cry. “I never would have -- I mean, if I had known --”

Perry shakes his head. _It’s okay_. She has to know it’s okay, doesn’t she? He can’t pretend it hasn’t annoyed him in the past, but she didn’t know about him then. It’s different now. 

“You’re not mad?” Candace asks warily.

Perry shakes his head again. Of course he’s not mad. They’re still family, after all. What’s family without a few sarcastic remarks?

“So…” Linda glances around. “What happens now?”

“That’s up to you,” Carl says. “If this doesn’t change anything, if you still want him around, then I’ll just leave you be. If you decide you don’t want a former secret agent in your house, we’ll return to headquarters, he’ll continue his work as an agent, and for safety reasons, you won’t be allowed to see him again.”

Perry looks up at his family nervously. This is it. This is the moment he’s been waiting for with anticipation and dread. This is the moment that will make or break his future. 

“Well, this is wonderful!” Lawrence says, beaming. “Imagine how much fun we’ll have together now!”

Perry had already assumed he’d get that type of response from him, but hearing him say it is oddly comforting. 

“I can’t pretend this isn’t the weirdest thing I’ve heard,” Linda says, “but I think I can get used to it.”

That wasn’t a very enthusiastic response, but she seems to truly believe she’ll get used to it, which is nice to hear. She’s essentially the head of the household; if she didn’t want him here, it wouldn’t matter what anyone else said. 

“I know I’m leaving in a week anyway,” Candace says, “but for what it’s worth, I want you to stick around.”

That one earns a smile. In all honesty, he hadn’t really known what to expect from her. They’ve had their fair share of ups and downs; he’s glad she’s willing to give it another shot.

Everyone looks at the boys. These are the two relationships he was most afraid of messing up. If it goes well, there’s so much promise for their future together. After the second dimension, though…

Ferb gives a silent thumbs-up. Though Perry had already assumed from his earlier comment that this is how he’d react, it still means a lot to him. Even if this isn’t the pet platypus he knows and loves, he’s still willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. 

And, last but not least, Phineas. He has his hands clasped in front of him, covering his mouth so Perry can’t catch a glimpse at how he’s feeling. He’s been uncharacteristically quiet since Carl showed up, and Perry has to admit, he’s starting to fear the worst. He’d hoped a civil, mostly stress-free reveal like this would bring up better results than the other dimension. It’s not like Perry is putting them in danger right now the way he had back then. Unfortunately, it looks like it’s not quite that simple. 

Phineas lifts his gaze from the table to meet Perry’s eye, and Perry braces himself for the worst. 

“It’s been ten years,” Phineas says quietly.

Perry nods slowly. It _has_ been ten years -- a wonderful, exciting ten years that he wouldn’t trade for anything. But to Phineas, it must look like ten years of constant lies and cover-ups, and that’s a lot harder to romanticize. 

“That’s a long time to keep a secret,” Phineas adds. 

Perry drops his gaze to the floor. This is what he was afraid of. No one else really seemed to give the lying much thought, but Phineas and Perry’s bond is special -- different even than Perry’s bond with Ferb, though no less important. Perry was hoping the excitement of having a secret agent as a pet would cancel it out, but he can’t say he blames the boy for being upset. 

“I don’t think that’s something I can just… _forget_ ,” Phineas says. “You know that, right?”

Perry nods. He’s not naive. Optimistic, sure, but not naive. 

“But…” Phineas sighs. “You’ve been a good friend, even if you haven’t been, you know, totally open about everything.”

Perry risks a glance up at him. Does this mean…?

Phineas slides out of his chair and opens his arms. “Hug it out?”

Phineas doesn’t have to say that twice. Perry runs up to him and jumps into his arms. He hasn’t gotten to hug him like this since the other dimension, and Phineas has grown a lot since then. Perry can’t even get his arms all the way around him anymore. It’s just another reminder of how much time he’s lost -- and how much time they still have. 

“I love you, buddy,” Phineas says quietly. “And I’m not going to pretend I’m not a little annoyed that you didn’t tell us sooner, but I’m glad you told us today.”

They hug for a few moments longer, and Perry can feel all his problems melting away. Phineas still loves him. They all do. This is everything he’d hoped for, and it’s all sinking in all at once. He’s here with his family, and he gets to be himself -- his _real_ self, without the facades he has to put on for work or to protect his identity at home -- and he couldn’t be happier.

But then Carl clears his throat, and Perry is pulled back to reality. He takes a few steps away from Phineas and looks up at the intern. Everything may have worked out for Perry, but he has to imagine this is still an awkward situation for Carl. 

“Well, I guess this is it,” Carl says.

Perry nods solemnly. He may get to keep his family, but he’s still giving up one part of his life -- the part that’s followed him since he hatched, that’s given him a purpose all these years. It’s a strange feeling, but he’s almost positive he’s made the right choice. 

Perry takes off his hat and holds it out. He’s not an agent anymore; he won’t be needing this. He’s had this hat throughout his entire adult life, but sometimes one has to make sacrifices for their loved ones, right?

But Carl shakes his head. “Keep it. Something to remember us by.”

Perry smiles. How could he forget them?

“And don’t be a stranger,” Carl adds. “You’ve got your watch; you’ve got your lair. If you’re still talking to Doofenshmirtz every other day, there’s no reason you can’t check in with _us_ every now and then, too.”

Perry tips his hat. He wouldn’t dream of leaving them in the dust. 

“Good luck, Perry.” Carl gives the rest of the family a courteous nod, then heads out. 

And now that it’s just him and the Flynn-Fletchers, they all lapse into silence. They’ve already decided not to kick him out, but where do they go from there?

It takes a few moments, but it’s Ferb of all people who finally breaks the silence. “So, Perry, want to play some video games?”

Perry smiles. He would _love_ to play some video games.


End file.
